Aeroplane



Mem: x@ hwef M G. A.`SPRATT.

- AEBOPLANE.'

l APPLICAHON FILED mm3, |926. 1,394,585. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

m 4 SHEETS-SHEET l. Si N Q N :Nm l l `9 I l E \\\\\\\\\lIIl A TTORNE Y G. A. SPRATT.

AEROPLANE. APLlcATaoN FILED JAN. 3, i920.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG-' s INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED s'rATEsI rari-:NT OFFICE l GEORGE L sPEAT'r, or coA'rEsvILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

AEROPLAN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application vfiled January 3, 1920. Serial No. 349,165.

- Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a de:

tached side vwheel together with its yokel and connections; Fig. 9 is a to p'la'nview of the construction shownV in IFig. 8, and

Fig. .10 isa fragmentary sectional through aportion of the keel.

As illustrated in the drawings, the vV- View shaped base frame comprisesthe rearwardly diverging sides 1 and the intermediate beam or keel 2 connected at their forward ends Patented oct. 25, 1921.

` by the pivot 3, the frame being provided at The`improvements of my invention lare' embodied in an aeroplane of stable design,

in which the aerofoil is carried well above' the wheel base, being a development of my invention disclosed in my U. S. applicaltion Serial No. 252,780.

My .improved aeroplane comprises a V- shaped wheel baseframe prvidedwith a forward wheel or skid at its apex and .with Vrear wheels disposedat the rear ends 'of the diver'ging frame members, where they are attached by -iexible -connections; 'an adjustable median beam or keel extending 'rearwardly from the apex of the 'V-,frame and by which the engine, propeller, tail vanes and operator are supported; an upright frame .comprising structs converging from hinged connections with the rear ends of the diverging sides of the base frame, together with diverging struts extending` upwardly from connections with the upper portionsv of the converging struts; a braced aerofoil hinged to the diverging struts and comprising a light but strong circularly arched construction having .a single' web sustained by sectional ribs extending in opposite'directions on opposite sides thereof into lapping relation; and steering mechanism for operating the vanes andaeroi'oil or aerofoils.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an aeroplane embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through an aerofoil embodying my improved construction; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of detached parts ofthel upright :frame and the steering mechanism; Fig. 5

. 28 Ais connected by the hinge 28 is a sectional side elevation of parts illus' trated in Fig. 4'; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6"-6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is -a sectional view taken on the line 7 of its apex with the Skid 4 containing the rollers or wheels 5. l The member 2 supports the upright truss l6 which carries the enginef? and the propeller' 8; the post 9 which is connected to -i'xed thereto and braced by the cables 13 and 14.

Diagonal struts 15 converge upwardly 'i from hinged connections 15 with the rear ends of the base members 1..- Diagonal struts 17 diverge upwardly from fixed connections so i.

with the struts 15 to the hinges 18 by which theyare joined to the cross braces 19 con-i necting the upper aerofoil 2O with the^lower aerofoil 21 on either :side of the median cross braces 19, the struts 17 extending `Jthrough the respective openings 22 in the,

lower aeroioil.4 The aerofoils are further connected' together and braced by end cross braces 19, vertical end braces 23 and tension members 24,25 and 61.4

.A longitudinally disposed bar 26 is loosely connected to the top of the post 9 by the yoke 16 and fixed' to the tops of the struts 15. This bar has its`front end connected by the diverging cables 26 and its rear end connected by the diverging cables 27 with the tops of the struts 17. A curved guide post with the rear end of the bar 26 and extends through the keepers 29 on-the vane 11, the post having its center in the axis of the wheels 5 and the keepers being xed in adjustable relation to the post to permit adjustment Aof the vane 12 angularly to its length. v

Struts 30 fixed to the lower ends of the struts 15, have `fulcrumedlthereon the levers 31 which are connected at their forward ends by the respective diverging cables 32 with the'front spar or edge of the'aerofoil 2O and at their rear ends by the respective edge of this aerofoil. Cables .61 connect lthe pintles of the hinges 15 on which the parts bear and cables 61 connect these pintles with the hinges 18'.

Asleeve 34 is adapted` to rock on the post 9 and is held against longitudinal movement thereon by the in 35, which extends through the post beyond) the sleeve so as to lie under the engine bed This sleeve is provided with an arm 36, which is connected by the fiexible members 37 with the struts 15,y and has fulcrumed thereon, bythe stud 38, a lever 39 provided with the operating arm or fork 40 andthework arms 41 and 42. -The forward arm 4 1?A '-is connected by the cable 43 with the froit Aspar or edge and the rear;

arm 42 is connected by the cable 44 with the rear spar or edge of the aerofoil 21. Hence when the arm 40 is Yelevated the lever 39 will be rocked so that it will act through the cable 43 on the aerofoil 21 which will tilt the aerofoils forward. When the arm 40 is depressed, the lever 39 acts through its arm 42 andthe cable 44 to tilt the aerofoils in theopposite direction. When the -arm 40 is rocked to the right or left, thesleeve 34 is turned on the post 9 and the arm 36 acts 'through the members 37 to effect a relative movement between the connected frame members. I'and 15 and the 4 keel 2 with the .vanes thereon, thus deflecttional ribs 49 and 50 extend in opposite directions from the spars or edges, to which they are fixed, on opposite sides of .the

fabric. Each rib extends say two-thirds of the distance between the spars or edges of the aerofoils so that one overlaps the other, the ribs `being feathered to a greater or less degree where they overlap and being secured together through the fabric. Thus the parts of the `fabric primarily subject to the attack of the air is smooth and unobstructed by the ribs as in vusual constructions, while it is held firmly between the ribs.

The wheels 5 are journaled in frames com- I prising the angularly disposed yokes 51 and 52. Vertical bearings 53, fixed to the frame member 1 by struts 53 and loosely connected to the members 15 by the links 53, have the yokes 51 engaged thereto by the rubber coils 54, which are fixed to the respective parts 53 bythe plates 55 and to the parts 51 by the plate 56, the parts 53 having the end rollers or anti-friction bearings 57 for engaging lthe vertical yokes. The horizontal. yokes 52 are loosely connected by the links 58 with bearingsl 60 on the frame members 1. y W These wheels 5 arev thus provided with means permitting them to move angularly without stin, with relation to the frame of the aeroplane when landing on irregular ground or moving laterally,-while acting to rlght them so that they are restored to -nor` .mal position;

The foregoing construction is .relatively light, flexible and thoroughly-braced. 4

Having described my 1nvention, I'claim: 1. In an aeroplane, the combination with a frame ofan aerofoil having spars,l of a circularly arched fabric drawn between said spars, andribs extending oppositely from said spars on opposite sides of said fabric into overlapping relation, said ribs being shorter than the distance between said spars.

2. In an aeroplane, an aerofoil having spars, a-fabric extending between said spars -and ribs. extending in opposite directions from said spars on opposite sides 'of said fabric into lapping relation, the length of lsaid ribs being substantiallyless than the distance between said lspars. f

3. In. an aeroplane, a circularly arched aerofoil comprising a fabric and ribs ex tending in qpposite directions on the opposite sides of said fabric from the .forward and rear edges thereof, the lengths of said .ribs being substantially less than the distance between said edges.

4.l Injan aeroplane, the combination with a frame, of a. pair of aerofoils having connecting members hinged to said-frame, said aerofoils .havin respectively front and backxed' to said connecting members and overlapping ribs extendingv r toward the other. f

In testimony whereof l have hereunto "set my hand, this 29th dayA of December, 1919.

i GEO. A. SPRATT.

om each spar. 

